Indiana State Police investigate fatal crash on Indiana Toll Road – Mercer County Outlook

(Steuben County, IN) – (12/24/10) Last night at approximately 5:15 p.m., the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post responded to a personal injury accident involving two semi-trucks and a pickup truck on westbound I-90 at the 146.6 mile mark. This location is east of the I-69 intersection in Fremont.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2020 Freightliner tractor-trailer was traveling westbound in the right lane of I-90 and approached stationary traffic (due to a car fire) at the 146.6 mile marker . The Freightliner was unable to slow down or stop due to the traffic jam. The Freightliner turned right to avoid a collision with a 2016 Ford F150 truck that was stopped in the right lane, struck the side of the passenger side of that truck, and then struck the rear of a 2008 Mack semi-trailer that was in front The Ford was stopped by him. The impact caused severe damage to the Freightliner’s cab. The driver and passenger of the Freightliner were trapped in the wreckage and had to be freed by Fremont Fire Department personnel.

The driver of the Freightliner, Melvin Chakkalackal Alexander, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Steuben County Coroner. The passenger, an adult male, was taken to a Fort Wayne area hospital with unknown injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Neither the driver of the Ford F-150 nor the driver of the Mack semi-trailer/trailer were injured in the accident, but they were taken to a local hospital for the required chemical examination, which is required of all drivers involved in a serious bodily injury or accident fatal accident in the state of Indiana.

The westbound lanes of I-90 were completely closed for over five hours for the investigation and cleanup. At the time of this publication, traffic was still limited to one westbound lane as cleanup efforts continued.

Toll Road officers were assisted in this investigation by Indiana State Police crash reconstructionists, as well as troopers from the ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED), Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Fremont Fire Department, Steuben County EMS personnel, the Steuben County Coroner , and Bill’s Professional Towing Service.

This remains an active investigation by the Indiana State Police. There is no further information to release this time.